Make It! Challenge #7: Rainbow Donkey

Bill Brown’s comic The Evil Squirrel’s Nest, which he publishes on his blogweekly on Thursdays, features a ragtag group of squirrels, skunks, cats, and various other wild animals who are always getting into something interesting. The main characters – Hooly, Odyssey, Hottie, Mini, and Clem – were all inspired by people Bill knows in real life. But of all the characters, the one most loved by fans is Rainbow Donkey, who is also the subject of this Make It! Challenge.

The story of how this “donkicorn” came to be is just as interesting as the character himself. Bill says:

Rainbow Donkey’s debut appearance

“The very first drawing of the ‘unicorn’ that would become Rainbow Donkey was a small avatar for my message board…. It was one of my first attempts to draw any member of the equine family, and to say it looked like complete crap is an understatement. Even my online friends, who were very encouraging of me for what at the time was some really bad art I was drawing, couldn’t help but point out how ridiculously awful the unicorn looked — with most of the replies being that it looked like a cow. In fact, Rainbow Cow was the first nickname being bandied about for it, but being as taken in by the real life Hooly as I was at the time, when she began calling it Rainbow Donkey, the name stuck… as did the character.”

I accepted Bill’s challenge both because I admire his work and just really like him as a person and because, much like Bill had never drawn a horse before Rainbow Donkey, I had never crocheted a horse/donkey/unicorn before. It turned out though that crocheting a donkicorn wasn’t the most difficult part. The toughest thing about this challenge was trying to capture that rough but loveable charisma that has made his donkicorn character so popular among fans. It might have something to do with his illustration style.

Bill does most of his sketching by hand, then uses MS Paint (I’m so impressed by anyone who has the patience to draw a comic in Paint!) and Photoshop to bring the images to digital life.

This process creates scenes that are bright and lively and, he admits, a little rough around the edges. I think that’s what makes them so endearing, and it was my biggest hope that I would be able to capture that quirky beauty in my crocheted version of Rainbow Donkey. I hope that you, too, can see the charm in his stubby feet, giant ears, and crooked smile. Because like Bill says, it’s our flaws that make us loveable.

Rnd 16: Dec 6 times over next 12 scs, sc in ea of the next 30 scs. PM in last sc of rnd. (36)

Rnds 17-19: Sc in ea sc around.

Rnd 20: Making sure you are lined up with the PM at the beg of rnd 16, sc 15, dec 6 times over next 12 scs, sc 9. (30)

Rnds 21-24: Sc in ea sc around.

Rnd 25: * 4 sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. (36)

Rnd 26: * 5 sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. (42)

Fill this half of the body with Fiberfill before continuing with pattern.

Rnds 27-34: Sc in ea sc around.

Rnd 35: * 5 sc, dec, rep from * 5 more times. (36)

Rnd 36: * 4 sc, dec, rep from * 5 more times. (30)

Rnd 37: * 3 sc, dec, rep from * 5 more times. (24)

Rnd 38: * 2 sc, dec, rep from * 5 more times. (18)

Stuff the rest of the body.

Rnd 39: * Sc, dec, rep from * 5 more times. (12)

Rnd 40: * Sc, sk, rep from * 5 more times. (6)

FO, leaving a long tail. Thread the tail through FL of remaining 6 scs. Pull hole closed and weave in ends.

Legs (make 4)

With black yarn, ch 2.

Rnd 1: 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook. (6)

Rnd 2: 2 sc in ea sc around. (12)

Rnd 3: *sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. (18)

Rnds 4-6: Sc in ea sc around.

Switch to white yarn.

Rnds 7-17: Sc in ea sc around.

FO, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Stuff and sew the open end of each leg to the underside of the belly.

Neck

With white yarn, ch 2

Rnd 1: 10 sc in the 2nd ch from hook. (You may need to use the magic ring method to accommodate 10 scs.)

Rnd 2: Sc 2 in ea sc around. (20)

Rnd 3: *4 sc, inc, rep from * 3 more times. (24)

Rnd 4: Sc in ea sc around.

Rnd 5: *3 sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. (30)

Rnd 6-10: Rep rnd 4.

Rnd 11: * 4 sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. (36)

Rnd 12: Rep rnd 4.

FO, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Push the male end of the doll joint connector up through the middle hole in the top of the neck. Stuff the neck and sew to the body. It might be easier to secure the neck in place with pins before sewing.

This looks so weird. Give him a head STAT!

Eyes

Cut felt into 3 circles, each with a diameter of about 1”. Using black, white, and blue floss and a satin stitch, embroider the pupil, iris, and reflection on 2 of the 3 circles.

Cut the third circle in half, then trim each into a half-moon shape. Using hot glue or fabric glue, attach each semicircle on the top half of the eye as an eyelid.

Set the eyes aside for now.

Head

With beige yarn, ch 2.

Rnd 1: 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook. (6)

Rnd 2: 2 sc in ea sc around. (12)

Rnd 3: * sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. (18)

Rnd 4: * 2 sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. (24)

Rnds 5-7: Sc in ea sc around.

Rnd 8: * 2 sc, dec, rep from * 5 more times. (18)

Switch to white yarn.

Rnd 9: Sc in ea sc around.

Rnd 10: * 2 sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. (24)

Rnd 11: Rep rnd 9.

Rnd 12: * 3 sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. (30)

Rnd 13: Rep rnd 9.

Rnd 14: * 4 sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. (36)

Rnds 15-21: Rep rnd 9.

Rnd 22: * 4 sc, dec, rep from * 5 more times. (30)

Rnd 23: * 3 sc, dec, rep from * 5 more times. (24)

Rnd 24: * 2 sc, dec, rep from * 5 more times. (18)

Now is a good time to sew on the eyes that you had set aside earlier and embroider the nose and mouth with black embroidery floss. Note: in placing the eyes, I found it helpful to stuff the head first, pin on the eyes, and then remove the stuffing in order to sew them on.

Push the male end of the doll joint connector through a hole in the bottom center of the donkey’s head. Thread the washer and female end of the joint on. Pop the two pieces together to attach the head to the neck. Stuff head with Fiberfill. Continue with pattern to finish head.

Rnd 23: * sc, dec, rep from * 5 more times. (12)

Rnd 24: * sc, sk, rep from * 5 more times. (6)

FO, leaving a long tail. Thread the tail through FL of remaining 6 scs. Pull hole closed and weave in ends.

Ears (make 2)

With white yarn, ch 2.

Rnd 1: 4 sc in 2nd ch from hook. (4)

Rnd 2: Sc in ea sc around.

Rnd 3: 2 sc in ea sc around. (8)

Rnd 4: * 3 sc, inc, rep from * 1 more time. (10)

Rnd 5: * 4 sc, inc, rep from * 1 more time. (12)

Rnds 6-12: Rep rnd 2.

Rnd 13: * 4 sc, dec, rep from * 1 more time. (10)

Rnd 14: * 3 sc, dec, rep from * 1 more time. (8)

Rnd 15: * 2 sc, dec, rep from * 1 more time. (6)

FO, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Flatten ear and lay on top of beige felt. Trace around the ear with a fabric pencil. Cut felt about 1/4″ in from the traced line. Attach this felt appliqué to the ear with white thread and a blanket stitch.

Sew each ear to the donkey’s head.

Unicorn Horn

With white yarn, ch 2

Round 1: 4 sc in 2nd ch from hook. (4)

Round 2: Sc in each sc around.

Round 3: * Sc, inc, rep from * 1 more time. (6)

Rounds 4-5: Rep rnd 2.

Round 6: * Sc, inc, repeat from * 2 more times. (9)

Round 7-10: Rep rnd 2, slst in next sc. FO, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Stuff horn lightly, place between eyes, and sew to head.

Mane

For each color of the rainbow, cut about 24 pieces of yarn, each about 5 inches long. Starting at the top of the head, insert your crochet hook into a sc hole and up through an adjoining hole. Grab the middle of two strands of the red and pull through the stitch. Pull the free ends of the yarn through the loop and pull tight to secure (like latch hook). Repeat this for at least two more sts between the ears.

(This space may vary depending on how you placed the ears. Mine was four sts wide, so for each color, I added 3 rows of hair with each row consisting of 4 sts.)

Repeat for the rest of the colors.

Trim hair if desired. I liked how wild the hair on my Rainbow Donkey was, so I didn’t trim it at all.

Tail

For each color of the rainbow, cut 4 pieces of yarn about 10 inches long. Mix all the strands together, keeping them relatively even on the ends. Locate a spot of the donkey’s rump where you want to add the tail. Using the crochet hook, pull the strands about halfway through this st and let them drape over. Trim if needed.

Heart

Cut a heart out of felt. I’ve found the easiest way to do this is to start with a square piece of felt. Turn it so that it’s a diamond and cut a square notch into the top corner. Then round all the corners except the bottom one. Ta-da, you have a heart.

Adhere the heart to the rump with hot glue or fabric glue.

Bill Brown of the Evil Squirrel’s Nest Tells All!

1. Of all the characters in your comic, who do you most relate to?

Evil Squirrel has pretty much adopted my personality and has essentially been my alter ego for most of his existence, so it would have to be him. ES plays the role of the regular squirrel who is surrounded by a bunch of other quirky critters and has to deal with their oddball personalities… and I think that’s something we can all relate to in life. We often think of ourselves as the one sane person in the world, and all the people we know are the weird ones!

2. Have you modeled any of their personalities after people you know in real life?

Yes! Most of the people who I have come to know on my internet forum that ES and crew was born on have their own personalized “fursona” I created, and a few of those characters have found their way into my comic. Among my comic’s recurring characters, Hooly, Odyssey, Hottie, Mini and Clem were inspired by online friends of mine. Hooly and Odyssey really were polar opposite personalities who despised each other, Mini really has a daughter named Erin (though the real Mini is actually a very cool person and not the overprotective helicopter parent she portrays in the comic), Hottie is truly one of the sweetest people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, Clem has always played an online personality of being God’s gift to women.

3. What has been your favorite episode?

Oh my, this is difficult! There are so many that I really like, but not one that really stands out! As far as reader reaction goes, the no-brainer best response I got to a comic was my Mardi Gras themed comic (#41, 2/7/13). If I had to pick one, I guess I’d go with the first comic where Buster asked for a raise (#34, 12/20/12) because I think it has one of the best “bet you didn’t see that coming” punch lines I have ever come up with.

4. Is Rainbow Donkey really a donkey?

No, he is just a very poorly drawn unicorn. The “donkey” part just stuck like a bad grade school nickname.

5. Does he have any special powers? If not, what super powers does he wish he had?

Well, Rainbow Donkey can fly! I’ve drawn numerous scenes of him soaring through the air… in fact, anyone visiting my blog will see him gliding through the sky with Angel on his back in my blog’s header. How exactly he does this is a mystery since he has no wings, though I’m guessing there’s some Pegasus in his lineage. As was seen in a previous comic (#53, 5/2/13), Rainbow Donkey does not excrete colorful bodily fluids as unicorns are often claimed to be able to do, so his powers are certainly limited. He does have the power to win over legions of fans, and I continue to be surprised at how popular a character he has become!

6. Is Rainbow Donkey the only one of his kind?

While there may be other poorly drawn unicorns out there, none of them are as down to earth and have an “everyman” persona like Rainbow Donkey does. You would think a unicorn with a bright white coat and a beautiful rainbow-colored mane and tail would be an extraordinary, magical, and even perfect creature. But he is not. He has self-esteem issues. He gets into awkward situations. If he wore them, he’d no doubt put his pants on one leg at a time just like the rest of us. He is a reminder to us all that no matter how perfect and magnificent we might think we are, we all have our faults and there’s nothing wrong with that! And vice versa… though we may seem like we have many issues in life, there’s still a part of us that’s beautiful and that makes people like us!

7. Why is a unicorn hanging out with a bunch of squirrels and possums and such?

Good question. I blame my four younger sisters, whose toys of the ’80s (Rainbow Brite, My Little Pony, etc.) were quite influential on my artistic style. They supplied the colorful cuteness, and I supplied the warped sense of humor which helps make ES and the gang so unique!

8. What does Rainbow Donkey eat?

I think the only thing I have ever drawn Rainbow Donkey eating before is common ordinary grass (#53, 5/2/13), although in that same comic, the “evidence” seems to suggest he’s also been sneaking candy bars from the other characters. Being the atypical unicorn who is not high above ordinary society, my guess is he’d probably prefer a Big Mac to something exotic like wild berries.

72 thoughts on “Make It! Challenge #7: Rainbow Donkey”

Oh how wonderful he is! I love everything about him. His mane, his horn, his beautiful tail. Most of all I love the way you did his eyes. His expression is amazing! I just want to keep looking at him! Great post amigurumio! 🙂

Thanks, Sharon! Since you are very familiar with the comic, I was really hoping that you’d like it. I’m so excited that you do! It was really hard for me to mail him to Bill. I really wanted to keep this Rainbow Donkey for myself. I will have to make another one right away. 🙂

Hi! OMG! Rainbow Donkey come to life! I am one of ES’s many fans from the message bored where ES first found his unique voice. The patience you had to not only make him but to provide instructions for others! I wish I could crochet better but alas I am a quilter so Bill had to settle with a squirrel wall hanging (which had to be made twice and is a story in his blog). I know he is thrilled with this rendition of Rainbow Donkey because he told some of us ahead of time to look for a special Saturday blog post. Really AWESOME! Christie1111

Hi Donna! Nice to meet you. It’s so good to hear that my crochet version lives up to the original Rainbow Donkey. Thanks! I’ve seen your quilt on his blog. Very nice work! I love how ES has brought so many talented and creative people together. 🙂

You’re very welcome, Bill. This has been an all-around awesome experience. And I couldn’t have done it without you and your fantastic webcomic. Now I hope lots and lots of people use the pattern and fill the world with Rainbow Donkeys. 🙂

Ah ! came here to check if the rainbow donkey had a pattern …and am I so happy to find it in all its glorious detail !! Thank you so much for this generousness 🙂 He is too cute for words. I plan to make one and if I succeed (whenever that is !) that will be my best ever crochet project I presume !!

Hi, Alfred! I’m so excited to hear that your daughter loves Rainbow Donkey. I wish that I could help you, but I only provide the patterns. I don’t make the items for sale. I wish I had the time. That would be my dream job! I know of other crochet artists who do sell on sites like Etsy. In fact, searching “rainbow unicorn crochet toy” on Etsy brings up several for sale. Hopefully your daughter will like one of theirs just as much. Thanks for visiting Squirrel Picnic, and I’m sorry again that I couldn’t be of more help.

Hello I love Donkey and I’ve downloaded his pattern I an having a little problem with the decrease in the middle of the body, on row 20 it says: dc 15 and dec 6 stitches over the next 12 But there are 36 stithes Is there a row missing, as the previous decrease is row 16 46 to 36 stitches Also is the decrease supposed to be at the same place or the opposit side? Thank you for the pattern he’s gorgeous!
mags

Hi Mags! Thanks for making a Rainbow Donkey. I am happy to help. You are right, Round 20 is worked over 36 stitches: first, single crochet 15, then dec (sc2tog) 6 times over the next 12 stitches, then single crochet 9 more stitches (15+12+9=36). With these 6 decreases, your new total will be 30 stitches. Like Round 16, this creates a dip to the donkey’s waist. In Round 16, the decreases occurred at the start of the round, but in Round 20, the decreases occur halfway through the round, which should put them at the opposite side from the Round 16 ones. I hope this helps you. Please let me know if you need anything else. Enjoy your donkey!

Hi Deenie! Thanks for your question. PM stands for place marker. You can place a stitch marker or a piece of waste yarn in this stitch to mark it for later (you’ll refer to it again in Rnd 20). I’ve added stitch marker to the list of materials so it doesn’t come as a surprise to someone else too. If you ever need a reference for abbreviations, I have them listed in the right sidebar on my website. Thanks again!

Hi Deenie! Hmmm… that’s curious. I’m looking at the pattern online right now and I see Rnds 17-19: Sc in ea sc around. Not sure what happened, but if you have any more trouble please feel free to let me know. Thanks!

Firstly, thank you so much for this pattern, which is sooooo lovely ^^ I have tried to make it and it is almost finished. However, I don’t understand the way to attach the tail to its rump very clearly. I am grateful if you could give me a detailed explanation. Thank you in advance ^^
P/s: English is not my mother tongue, so I’m very sorry if I have made some mistakes. Hope you can understand what I’m trying to say :3

Hi! I’m so excited that you are making a rainbow donkey! I am happy to help. To make the tail, I suggest cutting 10-inch lengths of yarn in all the colors that you choose. I might suggest starting with 10 lengths of yarn, but you may add more if you want your tail to be fuller. Pick a spot on your donkey’s rump where you want the tail to be. Insert your crochet hook into this stitch from above and out through the stitch directly below. Use the crochet hook to grab as many of these 10-inch lengths of yarn as you can and pull them halfway through both stitches — in other words, just until there are 5 inches of the yarn bundle below the stitches you are pulling through and the other 5 inches above. Fold the 5 inches of yarn above down to meet the rest of the yarn below. You might need to give your tail a haircut to even it out to the desired length. I hope my explanation doesn’t make it seem more complicated than it really is. Feel free to let me know if any of this is still giving you trouble. P.S.: Your English is wonderful. 🙂

Thank you for replying so fast!!! At first I just tried to do it in my own way, and after that I realised it was exactly the way you describe, so embarrassing (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)⁄ I’m still doing it now, but it seems to me that the spot I chose was a little bit higher than it supposed to be 😦 Do you like to see my donkey when it was finished? ^^

You’re welcome. I’m glad that worked out. I knew you could do it. 🙂 I would love to see your rainbow donkey. If you send your photo to squirrelpicnic(at)gmail(dot)com, I will even include it in a special feature called “You Made This!” on the blog in June. Be sure to include your name or the name you’d like me to use in the post. I look forward to seeing your donkey!

Oh, in my donkey there are some changes with its eyes. I make it for my sister as her birthday present, and she wants other type of eyes, which looks funnier to her. She hopes that whenever she looks at it, she will feel happy. I hope you don’t mind the changes when you receive my photos. I will send those photos to that given mail as soon as I have finished. Thank you again for this pattern ^^

I’m excited to see your version. I think it’s great when people add their own special touches to my patterns. It’s always neat to see. I know your sister will love it! That’s very nice of you to make it for her.

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Welcome to the picnic!

Hi there! I'm Jennifer Olivarez and these two little squirrels are Hodge and Podge. Whether you’re looking for whimsical patterns, lighthearted comics, or something to smile about, you’ve come to the right place and we're so happy you're here.